Panama City
Panama City has lots of interesting things to see and do, so don’t leave it off your itinerary when you are planning a visit. Your may want to tour the Canal or visit the Old Town. Here are some suggestions for your city stay.
Tour Guide
Judy Tovar of Easy Travel Panama is a terrific guide. She grew up in Panama and went to school in the US. Her English is excellent and her knowledge of and enthusiasm for her country are unparalleled. Judy’s email is: easytravel@cwpanama.net. Judy can suggest a number of places to explore, while in Panama City. Of course the Canal is a must, as well as the Old Town “Casco Viejo.” There are several museums worth checking out, with the Canal and Natural History being our favorites. The YMCA market is fabulous for finding the best inventories and prices for molas and all of the great arts and crafts from the region. There are a number of tours into the rain forest near the Gamboa Lodge. The Soberania National Park is excellent and very accessible. The world famous “Pipeline Road” is unsurpassed for accessible birding.
Hotels
There are a great number of good hotels in Panama City and we have checked a number of them out. Additionally, new hotels are springing up in the city on what seems to be a monthly basis. After doing your Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak etc search for Panama City Hotels, feel free to email us, if you have any questions.
Some hotels we have used are (listed from least expensive to most expensive):
Marbella (basic, economy) 507-223-2220, hmarbella@cableonda.net
La Estancia (great value!) 507-314-1581, www.bedandbreakfastpanama.com
Sevilla Suites (quite comfortable and spacious, some rooms have kitchenettes) 507-213-0016,www.sevillasuites.com
Bristol (a very fine hotel/expensive) 507-265-7844, www.thebristol.com
The above hotels (except La Estancia, which is located on Ancon Hill) are all in an area called “El Congrejo” where you can find numerous good restaurants and shopping within walking distance.
In addition to the hotels above, you may consider: The Milan, Torres del Alba, Toscana and the Country Suites as options.
Things in Panama City can get booked up quickly, especially during high season. So make your airline and hotel reservations as early as you can.
